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Corn and late-planted sorghum doing well in Texas South Plains

Rains that started in mid-June have made it possible for Texas South Plains grain sorghum and corn producer to produce better yields than many expected early in the season, when drought conditions and a late start threatened to limit production.

Robert Burns, Texas AgriLife | Aug 21, 2013

Recent rains have improved production potential for the Texas South Plains corn and grain sorghum crops.

Timely showers that began in mid-June, “have been a tremendous benefit,” says Dr. Calvin Trostle, AgriLife Extension agronomist specializing in corn and sorghum, Lubbock. “Certainly, producers are pushing corn as best they can with irrigation and close attention to spider mite and corn earworm control.”

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Producers planted more grain sorghum in West Texas because of earlier projected high prices, but farmers planted considerably more on fields after failed dryland cotton, according to Trostle.

“We have the prospects for a very decent dryland grain sorghum crop in West Texas,” he said. “The rains have pushed the crop to a point where we may be able to finish out the crop with just a little more rainfall. There’s certainly cause for optimism.”

Read more about the improved conditions for grain and an update on conditions across Texas here.